Conveyer chain link



y 6 1944. '1. SUDDUTHIEI'AL. 2,349,208.

CONVEYER CHAIN LINK Filed June 10, 1942 Patented May 16, 1944 UNITEDSTATE$ harem OFFICE CONVEYER CHAIN LINK Application June 10, 1942,Serial No. 446,502

3 Claims. (o1. res-17s This invention relates to improvements in conveyer chains and particularly to a special form of link to be used inconveyer chains for holding or positioning articles or bodies on thechain while being transported.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a link of thecharacter described which will materially prolong the life of theconvey-er chain as a whole.

Another object of the invention is to provide a special form of linkwhich, when a number of them are inserted in a conveyor chain atsuitable intervals, will be subjected to the major portion, if not all,of the wear normally imposed on the chain, thus protecting the majorportion of the chain against wear and increasing the life thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a special holdingor positioning link of the type described, which is of sturdyconstruction and is preferably made in an integral casting, thuseliminating the possibility of any part thereof working loose or beingaccidentally dislodged by the vibrations that are set up in the chain,and the individual links thereof, under normal oper ating conditions.

A further object is to provide a special form of conveyor chain linkthat will tend to insure complete cleaning of the conveyor trough.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certaindetails of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, allas will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel featuresthereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of aconveyer chain illustrating links of the present invention connectedtherein.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the present link, this view being taken onthe line 4- of Fig. 1; and

Fig. is a perspective view. on a reduced scale, of the present link.

The present invention has been developed in connection with thetransportation of pulp wood in the manufacture of paper and, in thepresent instance, the chain is illustrated as transporting logs on itsupper reach which travels up an inclined trough Ill. The lower or returnreach of the chain traverses a suitable supporting surface, such as thechannel member H. As is understood, the chain is composed of an endlessseries of connected links which travel around suitable sprockets (notshown).

The links l2 may be of ordinary construction, each consisting of sidebars connected by end members lZ having openings therein for pins [3 bywhich each two links it are connected by connector bars or links M. Anumber of the special links of the present invention are interposed inthis endless chain at suitably spaced points, the spacing depending uponthe nature or size of the articles carried on the conveyer.

These so-called special links comprise a body portion essentiallyrectangular in cross section and hollow which is disposed transverselyof the chain, and, at each side, or front and rear with. respect to theline of travel, said body 15 is formed with lugs or extensions 16between which there is a hollow cross-piece I! for reception of thecoupling pins by which the link is secured to the next adjacent links.

As best shown in Fig. 4, the body if) is a comparatively thick-walledcasting, but its weight is materially reduced by reason of the fact thatit is not only hollow, but, in addition, it has comparatively largeopenings H3 in its sides extending the full distance between lugs it,and a similar opening I9 is also formed in its bottom wall. However, thelink is of ample strength. In addition, its strength can be augmented bythe provision of reinforce webs 20 in the interior thereof, these webspreferably extending transversely of the body in line with the lugs I6.In effect, the top or upper wall of the body portion l5 constitutes aplatform on which, or against which, the article to be carried issupported and this platform bridges the space between the end sectionsof polygonal cross-section composed of the top, the side walls and thebottom, the spaced end sections being braced, so to speak, by the topwall and the cross-members l? for the coupling pins. Thus, while thecasting is of comparatively light weight, nevertheless, it issufficiently strong to withstand loads and shocks imposed thereon inheavy duty work--for instance, heavy objects, such as pulpwood, droppingon it from a distance at transfer points or charging stations. Also, theentire link is a single casting, requiring no welding, riveting or otherforms of connections between any of the parts thereof, and, consequentlythere is nothing to work loose through the shocks or vibrations to whichthe chain and link is continuously subjected. Operation of the chainmay, therefore, be maintained at maximum efficiency.

It will also be observed that the lugs l 6 are located a considerabledistance below what has been termed the top surface of body portion l5,reference being had to the upper reach of the chain. Also, the spacingof the lugs I6 from each other is such that they mate with the side barsof links 12. Thus, the ends of the special link project a considerabledistance beyond the sides of the chain proper and, by having the topsurface of the special link located above the lugs 16, the special linksspaced throughout the chain will always maintain the trough, along whichthey travel, clean, and they will also take all wear caused by thefrictional contact of the lower reach of the chain with the channelmember or other support for said lower reach. Referring especially toFig. 2 of the drawing, the special links assume an inverted position inthe lower reach of the traveling conveyer, so that those faces which arenormally the upper faces rest on the channel or other support II and, byhaving the lugs 16 spaced from those faces, as described, the otherlinks, I2 and I4, do not contact the channel member. Thus, wear on themajor portion of the chain is minimized, practically all wear beingimposed on the special links which, because of their heavierconstruction, are more capable of withstanding such wear. Anotheradvantage of this location of the lugs IS on the special link is thatthe side bars of link I2 and the links M, all of which are comparative-1y narrow, cannot score the surface of support I I and ultimately outgrooves therein. Thus, the broad bearing surfaces of the special linksmaterially increase the life of the conveyer apparatus.

While a conveyer for pulpwood is used for purposes of illustration, itwill be readily appreciated that the present link is not limited to thisspecific class of conveyer chain.

What we claim is:

1. A conveyer chain link having an elongated, hollow body of rectangularcross-section having an unbroken, plane upper surface and openingsformed in two opposite side walls, lugs projecting from the sides of thebody at each end of each opening, said lugs being formed with theirupper surfaces below the upper surface of the body, transverse reinforcewebs in the interior of said body in registry with said lugs, andcoupling pin bearings between the lugs at each side of said body.

2. A conveyer chain link having an elongated, hollow body ofsubstantially rectangular crosssection having an unbroken flat uppersurface, said body being open at its two sides and bottom midway itsends, a pair of projections at each side of said body, coupling pinbearings between each pair of projections, said projections beinglocated below the upper surface of said body, and reinforce webs in saidbody at the ends of said openings in the side and bottom walls.

3. A conveyer chain link having hollow end portions of polygonalcross-section, an intermediate portion composed of a plate spanning thespace between said end portions and rigidly connecting said endportions, the upper surfaces of said end portions and of said plateconstituting an unbroken flat surface, means spaced vertically from saidplate at the sides of said link for attaching said link in a conveyorchain, and transverse webs at the inner extremities of said hollow endportion.

JARRETTE A. SUDDUTH. DEVEREAUX B. LAY.

